Artificial bait.



W. F. MGBRIDE.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

APPLICATION FILED ERBA, 1914.

1,1 10,956. Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Syvum/1120@ @Wam JVM/Wm abbot/man W. P. MGBRIDE.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

APPLIGATION FILED ERBA, 1914.

l l 1 0,956., Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM F. MCBRIDE,

0F WARSAW, INDIANA.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, limit.

pplication led February 4, 1914:. Serial No. 816,493.

To al whom it may concern .i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. MCBRIDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warsaw, in the county of Kosciusko and State of indiana, have invented new and useful improvements in Artificial Bait, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to artificial bait of that type made in imitation of the natural bait which they are intended to represent, and in which the hook or hooks are normally concealed and guarded, to prevent the same from becoming caught in weeds, logs,l or other obstacles in the water.

One object of my invention is to pro-vide an artificial bait of this character, in which the hook or hooks are normally concealed within a hollow elastic body, capa-ble of being compressed by the fish on taking the bait to pr'oject the hooks, and in which the elastic hollow body is formed with an opening or openings for the projection of the hooks and with means for permitting` of the How of water therethrough when drawn or moved Within the water, so that the bait will be balanced and maintain a proper and lifelike position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an artificial bait which is simple of construction, strong, durable and eflicient in construction and use, and in which provision is made for reinforcing the hollow body, supporting the hook or hooks and connecting the bait with a line through one and the same leader or connecting element.

The invention consists of the features of of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of the bait, made to simulate a frog. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 8 is a vertical t-ransversesection on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 1 designates the hollow body of the bait, which consists of a shellof rubber or other suitable waterproof, elastic material, this body is l made in simulation of the general shape of' the body of a minnow, the eyes, gills. etc., being simulated by painting or applying body. The vbody is stretched over a frame composed of a back-bone 2 of wire, which terminates at its forward end in a leader 3 for connection with the fishing line. The bac-kebone or stiffening member engages staples or connecting elements -l on the hollow. body, whereby the latter is secured in position, and also serves as a support for the hooks 5 and 6, oi which any desired number may bc employed. As shown in the present instance, a pair of hooks 5 are disposed Within the forward portion of the body on opposite sides of the center thereof, and have their shanks xed to the frame member Q. while a single hook 6 is arranged at the rear end or tail of the body and also has its shank 'suitably fixed to the frame member 2. T he bobbed portions of' the hooks are arranged to be exposed and projected through the slots 7, while the` bobbed portion of the hook f6 is arranged to be exposed and projected through a slot 8, the said slots 7 and 8 being formed in the portions of the body adjacent to the hooks.

Normally the hooks lie slightly within the body. so that they will be guarded against catching into Weeds` logs and other obstructions in the water. but when the bait is taken by a fish the hollow body 1 will be compressed by the jaws of the fish, thus exposing the hooks for action. The rear end of the body is provided with an Opeliing 9 through which the water contained in the body may How rearwardly when the minnoivy is drawn through the water. By this means the stability of the minnow is vpreserved and the current of water in flow ing through the body of the minnon74 not only adaptsl it to travel in a substantially straight line but imparts to it a sufficient oscillatory movement simulating the motion of a natural minnow.

It will of course be understood that the essential features of the invention may be embodied in natural bait of all kinds commonly used, and that one or more hooks may be employed. 4

ln Figs. 5 toY 8, inclusive. I have illustrated one modification of my invention in which the bait. 10 is formed to simulate a natural frog. The body l] of the bait in this inst-ance. is also hollow and made of suitable parts representing the same to the` rubber oi" elastic material and secured in a similar manner to frame member 12 connected With the leader 13, but' the Vbody of the bait is provided. in its bottom with a single slot 14 communicating with its open and rear end 15. The single hook 16 employed is connected with the frame member 12 and arranged so as to lieslightly within the line of the slot 14 and -to be projected therethrough for action when the bait is seized by a fish. The operation with this form of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

1. An artificial bait comprising a hollow elastic body, said body being open' at its rear end and having a longitudinally extending slot in its underside communicating with said open rearend of the body, a frame member disposed mainly within the body and having a portion arranged to overlie said slot, and an angularly bent terminal at the rear of said frame member formed to provide a forwardly projecting hook normally concealed Within the body and disposed adjacent to and in line with said longitudinally extending slot.

2. An artificial bait comprising a hollow elastic body open at its rear end, said body being provided .with slots on opposite sides of its fore portion and open a-t its tail portion and provided in its bottom with a slot v a frame member inclosed within vthe hollow body and to which the body is attached,

hooks normally inclosed within the body and carried Aby the frame member and disposedv in line with said slots and adapted tobeA pro-A elastic body, said body being o en at itsv communicating with the-open tail portion,-

rear end and having a longitu inally eX-v tending slot in its underside communicating with said open rear end, the said body also having longitudinally extending slots in lts i sides mainly in advance of its transverse center, a fra-me member extending longitudinally within the body, a hook at the rear end of said frame member projecting for;

Wardly into the body adjacent of and in line rwith the bottom slot, and opposed hooks upon the frame member depending within the body and disposed adjacent to and inline with the side slots, and a leader connected with the forward end of the frame member. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of ltwo witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MQBRIDE. Witnesses:l

MERL L. GooHENoUR. WM. CARROLL. 

